Improvement in pigeon-hole safes



H. F. UFFORD. PIGEoN-H-OLE SAFE.

No. 179,880, Patented Ju1y.18,1f876..

l/ h f Fm -w m m m y um, m n. v G #C mj B m..|||||--|---||- l l I 1 l l l l l I l I. MH... -------S 1n ma ,m L Gm F n a C .-.-E m F IW b g vw. a J o -E 9.,... M IL Bf. l.. l: L F dmm@ m HENRY F. UFFORD, OF LEYVISTON, ILLINOIS.

.IMPROVEMENT IN PlGEN-HQLE SAFES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 179,830, dated July 18, 1876 5 application filed February 9, 1876.

' of Illinois, have invented an Improvementin Compartmental Cases or Pigeon-Hole Gases; and do hereby declare that the following' is a full,-clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings, makinga part of this specification, in which like letters of reference refer to like parts, and in which- Figure l represents a front elevation with one ofthe center compartments open 5 Fig. 2, a supercial view of case and the terminal upper chamber and lock Fig. 3, a vertical section along line a a a a, Figs. l and 2.

This invention consists in devices arranged at one end to lock the whole series ot' doors at one movement. 4 horizontal one ora vertical one.

In. the instance of a horizontal case of compartments for assortments of small articles, where but one door of a row can loe slid back at one time, articles are not likely to, and cannot easily, be thrown back into the wrong receptacles, excepting intentionally and with some trouble.

In the vertical cases the doors all (or a portion) slide together, either vertically or from right to left, or vice versa-z'. e.. each door, in being opened, in sliding, pushes before it all the' doors in the line ot' its progress, so as to expose its particular compartment, and no more.

A groove is cut in each side ot' the front edge of the divisional partitions, in which slides the door of each compartment. Each groove is continuons for the whole length of the case. A sliding bar in a closed compartment at one end, coextensive with the ends of the range ot' sliding doors, which can be passed over the edges of the doors, locks the whole case, and the bar, in turn, may be secured from removal by means ot' an ordinary lock and key, the bolt ot' which can pass behind it.

In the instance of a case in which the doors move upward, or vertically, each door is supported, when raised, upon a button secured to the ceiling of each compartment.

I will now describe a case in which the doors move vertically.

The case may be either` al In the drawings, A represents the base or bottom of the case; B B, the sides; C, the horizont-al top board D, back board; a a, the horizontal divisions; b b, the vertical divisions. E E, &c., are vertically-sliding doors, rising in the grooves d el, &c., in the vertical divisions b b, or otherwise in attached grooved strips m m, fixed to the front edges of said divisions. Each door covers, when closed, no more than the front of its compartment, and is carefully fitted to its neighbor at their junctions, and lifts, when raised, all those above it, until its particular compartment is fully exposed. At this point the uppermost door strikes the top Gr ot' the case, and prevents the exposure of any portion ot' the next compartment. A button, z, for lifting purposes, is set in the front of each-door, and a supportingbutton, e, on the ceiling ot' each compartment.

Fis a cornice, which covers the locking-compartment, which extends over the top of the upper boxes and doors, and the latter are all simultaneously locked by the sliding bar j', lying on thefloor C of this compartment, (see Fig. 2,) under the guides pp, which keep it down. This barfisnotched in front to admit the strips m m and allow the bar to pass over the tops of each vertical row of doors when the latter are closed. This locking is done by means ot' a linger knob, t', on the outside ot' the cornice F, attached to the end L ot'a parallel bar, g, attached to the first-mentioned bar f by means of a link,j, and pivotedat the further end, at ki, to said floor. The free end of said bar g moves in a short horizontal slot ot' sufiicient extent to allow the bar to move backward (in opening) under and beyondthe bolt a ofthe lock H. The stops l l -cause the ba'rfto become parallel with the doors when drawn back.

H represents a common lock and key, u being the holt, so placed as to be shot downward behind the end of the bar g, so securely locking the doors.

What I claim as my invention is- 1 ,In a p igeon-hole safe, in which the doors are contiguous and slide upward in rows over open compartments, an upper terminal chamber, having a bar arranged to pass over the tops of said doors and lock them simultaneously, substantially as described.

2.v The bar g. pivoted to board C, and pro- In testimony that I claim the foregoing comi vided wit-h button z', and connected in a. suitapart-mental oase I have hereunto set; my hand `ble manner with barf, in combination with a this 3d day of February, 1876.

lock, H, l.ind the sliding doors E 0f the case, v

substantially es set. forth. HENRY F. UFFORD.

3. The pigeon-hole safe, having the ceiling of each compartment provided with a. support- Vtnesses:

ing-button7 e, in combination with the doors E, C. B. TOMPKINS,

arranged to slide upward in rows over said P. J. SMIANDARD.4 compartments, substantially as described. A 

